Moreton-Worcester Timeline
Part 2 : "Great Way Round"
1901
A GWR engine shed is opened at Evesham, along with modifications to the station.
1902
Improvements have resulted in a fastest time of 2hrs 20mins for Paddington to Worcester, aided by water troughs at Charlbury, between Oxford and Moreton.
1926
A re-arrangement of the sidings in Evesham results in the formation of Evesham "New" yard (the site of which is currently occupied by Tesco).
July 1939
No 4086 "Builth Castle" records the first certified 100mph achieved by a GWR locomotive, between Chipping Campden and Honeybourne (City of Truro's 100mph earlier in the century being unconfirmed).
1939-1945
The line has little strategic importance during the war, although a Ministry of Supply store is opened at Honeybourne.
1957
"The Cathedrals Express" is the first named train on the line
June 1961
Evesham Engine shed closes.
7th September, 1963
Officially, the OW&W becomes the last local route to convert to diesel motive power. However, reliability issues mean that steam is still rostered for some months.
September 1963
The last scheduled up steam-hauled "Cathedrals Express" from Worcester to Paddington takes place with "Castle" class no. 7005 "Sir Edward Elgar" doing the honours.
March 1964
In preparation for a final high-speed run from Paddington to Plymouth & return, several examples of surviving "Castle" class locomotives are evaluated on the OW&W. The actual run to Plymouth would take place on the 9th May.
28th April 1964
As part of the "Castle" evaluations, 4079 "Pendennis Castle" hauls the evening express to Paddington.
16th May 1964
Oxford University Railway Society runs "The Castle Farewell" tour along the OW&W using 5054 "Earl of Ducie".
The spring of 1964 has seen more failed diesels replaced by Castles.
8th August 1965
4079 "Pendennis Castle" returns to the OW&W with a charter.
January 1966
A lot of the smaller stations and halts close on the line.
May 1969
Honeybourne station is closed, but Pershore is reprieved after a report states that closing the station would cause severe hardship for passengers to Worcester. However, the buildings at Pershore would be demolished in 1970.
1971
Sections of the line are singled; the section from Moreton to Norton Junction is the most notable. Pershore station has now been reduced to a single platform halt.
19th May, 1973
BR Class 9F no. 92203 "Black Prince" hauls wat is probably the first steam tour over the OW&W since the final abolition of steam.
24th June 1973
GWR "Modified Hall" class no. 6998 "Burton Agnes Hall" takes the OW&W on a tour to Hereford.
5th October, 1974
Ex-LMS "Jubilee" class no 5690 "Leander" works a tour.
January 1977
A proposal to build a new station for Worcester, Worcester Parkway, near Norton Junction is announced. This will provide a link to the city for Inter-City services currently by-passing it.
September 1977
The Worcester Parkway plan is not approved by the Worcester City Development Committee, in spite of protests from some quarters. However, Wychavon District Council gives outline planning approval, after visiting the site and seeing a "mock-up" of the station.
January 1978
The county council approves the Worcester Parkway scheme, but the scheme is suspended, allegedly due to the non-sanctioning of extra HST units to work services through the station.
May 1981
Honeybourne stations re-opens although it is now a single platform unstaffed halt, a far cry from its days as a major junction station.
May 1982
British Rail sets out plans to withdraw through services between Paddington, Worcester & Hereford, blaming the condition of the track. Media attention is drawn to this, and ultimately the proposal is never carried out.
August 1981
The last freight workings into Evesham occur, and the "New" freight yard is closed down.
14th May, 1984
The first High Speed Train (HST) unit works the OW&W.
30th November 1984
The 07.05 service from Hereford to Paddington is derailed at Stoulton (between Pershore & Norton Junction), near milepost 115. There are no major injuries and a broken fishplate is blamed. The line is closed for three days.
22nd August 1993
GWR "King" class no. 6024 "King Edward I" visits Worcester as part of a excursion, via the OW&W line. Since weight restrictions at Worcester prevented "Kings" from working the OW&W during GWR days, this is the first time a member of the class is seen in the city, and on the line.
2nd October 1987
Ex-LMS 8F no. 8233 is piloted from the Severn Valley Railway by a class 37 to Long Marston, where it takes part in a 200th anniversary celebration of the Royal Engineers.
4th October 1987
Ex-SR "Merchant Navy" class no. 35028 "Clan Line" joins in, with a charter over the OW&W.
3rd April 1990
Ex-LNER K4 Class no. 3342 "The Great Marquess" runs light over the OW&W
15th August, 1991
Ex-GWR "City" class no. 3440 "City of Truro" passes with support coach from Hereford to Old Oak Common.
16th May 1993
The last timetabled locomotive hauled service from Paddington-Worcester with 47821 "Royal Worcester" given the honours.
17th May 1993
The first day of service of class 165/166 DMUs.
27th June 1993
Ex-GWR "Castle" class no. 5029 "Nunney Castle" passes along the line with a tour from Didcot to Worcester.
29th August 1993
Ex SR "West Country" class no. 34027 "Taw Valley" passes along the line with a tour from Didcot to Worcester.
April 1994
Rail privatisation sees the start of Thames Train and Great Western Trains (later First Great Western) services.
June 1997
Great Western Trains de-name "The Cathedrals Express" and the "Cotswold & Malvern Express", blaming the fact passengers didn't realise they were travelling on a "named" train.
27th September 1997
GWR "King" no. 6024 "King Edward I" visits Worcester as part of a excursion, returning via Evesham.
March 2000
The "Parkway" scheme is raised again.
May 2001
The cost of "Parkway" is now placed a £10 billion pounds by Worcester Evening News.
April 2002
Two issues are brought to public attention regarding
Evesham Station. The first relates to overspill from the car park
into surrounding streets (one of which I am a resident of). The
second is the removal of the barrow crossing at the east of the
station for safety reasons, preventing passengers unable to use the
footbridge from accessing the "up" platform. Unable to
implement improvements that would allow the use of the crossing
"safely" in the short-term, Thames Trains propose to
transport passengers by road to Pershore where trains use a single
platform. For "Up" travelling passengers, this is actually
taking them further from their destination.
May 2002
On a more positive note, Pershore gets a refurbishment
for its 150th birthday.
July 2003
A fatal accident occurres on the line at Charlton, just west of Evesham, when at around 8.20 am on Monday 7th, a First Great Western HST unit, bound for London Paddington, collides with a van on an occupation crossing. Three people in the van are killed, with one train passenger sustaining minor injuries. Initial investigations suggest that the van had proceeded onto the crossing without contacting Evesham Signal Box for permission to cross.
April 2004
First Great Western take over the Thames Train services on the line, a move supposedly to inprove services by the use of the new "Adelante" units available to FGW. However, the use of the faster units is offset by further restrictions about services into Paddington.
January 2007
The possibility of re-doubling of some or all of the single line sections from Oxford to Worcester is revived as Network Rail announces plans to conduct a feasibility study on the issue.
